Mikel Arteta has been urged to make a significant change for Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second leg against PSG.

The Gunners will travel to the French capital next Wednesday in a bid to overturn a one-goal deficit and reach the 2025 Champions League final.

Arsenal fans had high hopes ahead of the first leg against the Ligue 1 champions after knocking Champions League holders Real Madrid out of the competition in the quarter-finals.

Arteta’s side were brilliant across two legs against Madrid but failed to produce that level of performance at the Emirates Stadium in the first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

Hoping to take a lead into the second leg, Arsenal in fact find themselves 1-0 down Ousmane Dembele’s early goal was enough to separate the teams in north London.

PSG are now the clear favourites to progress, having already eliminated fellow Premier League clubs Liverpool and Aston Villa during an impressive run to the semi-finals.

Arteta is set to recall suspended midfielder Thomas Partey for the second leg, with Mikel Merino expected to slot back in up front which he has done to great success in recent months.

But the Gunners boss has been urged to make another change which would see Ethan Nwaneri start ahead of Gabriel Martinelli in Paris.

Nwaneri, 18, has enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Emirates Stadium but only came on in injury-time against PSG.

‘In those type of games, you want players who are fearless, who are going to go out there and just do it and not let the pressure of the situation get to them,’ ex-Premier League midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker told CBS Sports after PSG’s first-leg win over Arsenal.

‘You know what I would do? I would start Nwaneri. Ethan, the young lad at Arsenal, because these are the games young players can thrive in.

‘I hate when people say “oh they’re too young” about players, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. I would let Ethan go out there and do his thing.

‘It’s a tough decision but I would take Martinelli out for Nwaneri, I really would.

‘Mikel Merino will go back up there because Thomas Partey will come back in after his suspension.

‘People will say Nwaneri’s not played in that position much but in the modern game players all interchange in different positions. I would find a way to get him in that team.’

Arteta was naturally ‘disappointed’ after Arsenal’s narrow defeat but insisted the tie was far from over.

‘Obviously disappointed with the result,’ he told Amazon Prime. ‘We put so much into the game.

‘We struggled first 10-15 minutes to get momentum and dominance but we were better after that. It’s disappointing not to get a draw at least.’

PSG boss Luis Enrique, meanwhile, said: ‘Great atmosphere but we showed the kind of team we are.

‘We tried to play our way and scored the goal early playing the way we play. We suffered sometimes but could have scored the second goal.

‘The second match is going to be very tough. We need to prepare well, it’s going to be difficult.

‘The result means a little advantage for us. We are going to suffer, we know that. I think we can go to the final but there is still one match.’

La Liga leaders Barcelona take on Serie A giants Inter Milan in the other Champions League semi-final.

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